Knitting-machine.



Nh. 629,880. Patented Aug. |899.

. n. F. SULLIVAN.

KNITTING MACHINE.

(Application led Apr. SS, 1898.)

(No Model.)

'I A UIIHHH QM l l i HH WITNESSES.

i Y lgwaN :5R-

L M Bv hawf y l ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES DANIEL F. SULLIVAN,

KNlTTlNc- PATENT OEEICE.

MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters vPatent No. 629,880, dawted August 1, 1899.

Application filed April 28, 1893.)v

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known-that I, DANIEL F. SULLIVAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Low-A ell, in the county of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Knitting- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates t knitting-machines of that kind which are circular and adapted to knit one or more courses of a yarn of one color and then one or more courses of a yarn of another color; and it consists in the devicesv and combinations hereinafter described and claimed for changing automatioallyfrom one color to another. j

This invention isan improvement. on the knitting-machine shown and'described in the patent to Michael J. Dinneen, dated November 26, 1889, and numbered 415,834, and while using some of the parts shown in that machine differs therefrom mainly in employing a pattern-cylinder instead of a flexible pattern-tape, in cutting the yarn by` drawing a knife across the same instead of breaking the' yarn or cutting the yarn by pressing it against the sharpened nibs of the loop-wheel, and inv operating the iiuted feed-rolls Anot continu-v ously, but only when a new yarn is being'introduced into the machine.. Y

In the accompanying drawings, Figurel is a plan of my improvement Vwith such parts of a circular-knitting machine as are necessary to the understanding ofsaid improvement; Fig. 2, a side elevation of said improvement; Fig. 3, an inner end elevation of the same, omitting the pattern-cylinder; Fig. 4.-, a plan of the same, omitting a part of the pat-- tern-cylinder and the top plate; Fig. 5, a ver'- tical longitudinal section .on the line 5 5 in Fig. 3; Fig. 6, a cross-section on the line 6 6, in Fig. 5; Fig. 7', a plan of the cam carried by the needle-cylinder,'with a part of said cyl-H inder, omitting the needles.

The needle-cylinder A, needles a, needleclamps o', and-loop-wheel B are of the usual construction and operation and are used with other parts commonly used in circular-knitting machines.

On a suitable stand C on a vertical screw or stud-c turns the pattern-cylinder D, pro- `ver e.

serai no. 679,076. (No model.)

I vided with. ratchet-teeth d, adapted to be enantifricti'on-roll e6, which Yonce in every revl elution of the needle-cylinder is struck by a ,cam c2, which may be and is represented as V,being substantially like the'cam marked by 'the same letter of reference in said Dinneen patent. When the cam a2 passes the free end of the pawl-lever, the pattern -cylinder is caused to rotate an angular distance represented .by one of the teeth d.

rIhe pattern-cylinder may be prevented from turning too far by friction in any usual manner, as by a leather washer inserted between the washer c', which surrounds the screw c2, and the pattern-cylinder.

The other operative parts of my invention` are supported directly or indirectly upon an arm F, rigidly secured tothe stand C or othery immovable object.

The. top 'plateG is pi voted at g, at the end nearest vthe pattern-cylinder, between earsl f' f2 Von said armF and serves as a yarn-guide, having as many yarneyes g' gior holes as there are yarns y y', the drawings representing the device as intended for two yarns.

through the yarn -eyes 'g' l`g2:and .together through anothereye Agfin a vertical yarnplate g4, rigidly securedrou said top plate. The ,topi plate is raised on'it'spivot g to enable the" yarn to be passed through the yarneyes g g2 g3, vbut in Voperation is held down upon the arm F by a latch H, which engages :notches f3 f4 on opposite sides of vertical studs f5 f6, rigidly secured in saidxarm F at opposite sides of said top plate. Said latch H is preferably a piece of thin'or sheet metal having twoturned-up portions or vertical ears h h', arranged diagonally opposite each y Fromtheu'sual' spools or bobbin`s,(not shown) thefyarns pass separately other, by pressing which ears in opposite directions, as by the thumb and a linger of the same hand, said latch may be turned in either direction, with a pivot h2, Fig. 5, secured to the under side of said latch and entering a hole g5 in the top of the top plate G.

The horizontal iiuted feed-rolls I I' are constructed substantially like those shown in said patent, the upper one I being journaled in the top plate and being lifted therewith.

when the yarns are being threaded into the machine, andthe lower feed-roll I being journaled in the bottom plate G, which is pivoted to the arm F at gG between iianges f7 f8 on said arm and is lifted toward the roll I by a spring g7, acting on said bottom plate, as shown in Fig. 5. The depth to which the flutes of the rolls I I engage each other is limited by an adjustable stop represented as a screw g8, which turns in said bottom plate and strikes against the under side of the arm F. When the rolls I I are in engagement and the knitting-machine isin operation, said rolls are turned by a yarn running between them from the yarn plate g4 to the loop- Wheel B.

In a groove ff in the top of the arm F arel guided longitudinally two yarn-clamps J J', the ends of said clamps nearest the patterncylinder being halved together atjj, so as to lap each other laterally, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, while the other ends of said clamps are arranged side by side. The overlapping ends of said clamps are beveled at jiji to allowT the pattern-studs d d2 of the pattern-cylinder to slip easily past them as said pattern-cylinder is turned, and said beveled ends are held in engagement with said pattern-studs by the expansion of spiral springs j4, arranged ,in longitudinal holesj5 in the ends of said clamps and pushing rods j against the yarn-plate g4 and reacting on said clamps. Each clamp is provided with a clamping-rod 3'7, having an enlarged head js, which is pressed slightly toward the yarn-plate g4 by a spring j", arranged in a hole jl@ above and parallel with the holej, so that when said clamp is pushed toward the yarn-plate by a pattern-stud (CZ or d2) a yarn is clamped between said plate and the head js, the yarns in passing from the eyes g g2 to the eye g3 in the yarn-plate passing directly across the path of said heads js, as indicated in Fig. 6.

The pattern studs d' cl2 are preferably screws, which enter holes d3 d in the patterncylinder, Figs. 1, 2, and 4, there being as' many annular rows of these holes as there are yarn-clamps and as many holes in each row as there are ratchet-teeth d, the holes in the upper row being each preferably immediately over a hole in the lower row. Each pattern-stud moves the clamp in the same plane therewith to cause the yarn which corresponds to said clamp to be held against the yarn-plate during one course of knitting or one revolution of the needle-cylinder and prevents said yarn from reaching the loopwheel, so that if all the holes in both rows of the pattern-cylinder were filled with patternstuds no yarn would enter the machine, and if all the studs were removed both yarns would enter the fabric.

To make a horizontally-striped fabric, itis necessary that only one yarn should be introduced at a time. Therefore wherever a pattern-stud is inserted the pattern-hole immediately above or below it is left empty, and in order that the yarn for the next stripe may be drawn by the yarn of the stripe just being completed a pattern-stud is omitted from each row of holes at the proper point to allow both clamps to be out of contact with their yarns at the time the change is being made.

When both clamps are out of contact with their yarns, the feed-rolls are in engagement with each other and are revolved by the unbroken yarn being drawn between them by the action of the loop-wheel and needles, and said feed-rolls will feed in the other yarn if the latter reaches through the yarn-plate far enough to be caught between said feed-rolls. When either clamp is throwntoward the yarnplate by apattern-stud, as above described, a cam-shaped projection j on the underside of such clamp rides up on an incline Q9, with which the top of the bottom plate is provided, and throws the lower feed-roll I out of engagement with the upper feed-roll I and both feed-rolls stop, the yarn running below and out of contact with the upper feed-roll I, except when said yarn is raised by the rising of the lower feed-roll. By this arrangement the stationary yarn is not worn out or broken or accidentally drawn into the machine by the action of said feed-rolls. Of course a yarn held by a clamp, as above described, will, if the machine be running, be broken some where between the clamp and the loop-wheel,

'but at what place is very uncertain, and the break may occur so near the clamp that the broken yarn will not be caught by the unbroken yarn or by the feed-rolls and carried to the loop-wheel.

I cut the yarn at the proper time by means of a swinging knife K, which may consist of a piece of sheet-steel, pivoted at 7c on the top plate G near the pivoted end of said top plate and extending over the latch H (and incidentally retaining said latch on said top plate) and beyond the other or free end of said top plate, where said knife is bent vertically downward at k in front of, but out of contact with, said top plate and the bottom of the downhanging portion being rounded and sharpened at 7a4. The shank or horizontal portion of the knife is provided with inclined shoulders 7a2 7c3 on opposite sides thereof, and pins glo-gu, which are secured vertically in ears Q12 Q13 on the clamps J J project up through slots 914 Q15 on opposite sides of said shank, so that when a clamp is moved outward byr a pattern-stud the pin on said clamp strikes a shoulder on the shank of said knife and throws its curved edge against IOO IIO

629,880 p f s,

The yarn end to be introduced lies l'JetWeenv the feed-rolls and reaches to the place on the yarn-table L Where it Was left by the last previous cutting, and as soon as the corresponding clamp releases said yarn end it is carried by the combined action of the feedrolls and the friction of the old or uncut yarn running through the same eyev g4to said loopl Wheel, the antifriction-roll e then being upon therest a5 of the cam d2 and the pattern-cylinder having been turned by the action of the irst cam-surface a3 suii'iciently to partially close the previously-open clamp and partially open the previously-closed clamp. The remaining movements of the clamps and the above-described action of the knife,which immediately follows the completion of said clamp movements, are eected by the action of the greater cam-surface a4 of the cam a2.

I claim as my invention-' v l. The combination of a pivoted knife, having sl1onlders,.a stationary yarn-plate, having a single yarn-delivery'eye,yarn-clamps, having projections to strike said shoulders, to turn said knife upon` its pivot and to move its cutting edge in the direction of the length of said edge,and adapted to clamp yarn against said yarn-plate, a needle-cylinder and needles, carried by said cylinder.

2. The combination of a pivoted knife, having shoulders, a stationary yarn-plate, having a single yarn-delivery eye, yarn-clamps, having projections to strike said shoulders, to turn said knife upon its pivot and to move its cutting edge in the direction of the length of said edge, and adapted to clamp yarns against said yarn-plate, a loop-Wheel, a needie-cylinder and needles, carried by said cylinder.

3. The combination of a pair of feed-rolls, one of said rolls having fixed bearings,a yielding bearing supporting the other of said rolls, clamps, each adapted to clamp a yarn against a xed surfaee,and means for permitting said rolls to engage each other when all of said clamps are open and of holding saidvrolls out of engagement when any of said clamps is' closed. i

4. The .combination of a rotary needle-cylinder, the pattern-cylinder, pattern-studs, secured therein and projecting therefrom, means of rotating said pattern-cylinder an equal angular distance at each revolution of said cylinder, sliding clamps, spring devices to vmove said clamps toward said pattern-cylinder, a stationary surface, against which said clamps are forced by said pattern-studs, and a pair of feed-rolls, one of said rolls having fixed bearings, a yielding bearing, supporting the other of said rolls and provided with an incline, each of said clamps being provided with a cam-shaped projection, adapted to ride on said incline when said clamp is moved toward said stationary surface.

In Witness whereof I have signed this speci-l ficatiomin the" presence of tWo attestingwitnesSeS, this 23d day of April, A. D. 1898.

Y y, DANIEL F. SULLIVAN.

v Vitnesses: A

ALBERT M. Moonn, DANIEL J. lyiURPHY., 

